EXCERPT
It’s that time of the year once more when we open up registrations for our annual BGC Retreat. This time we are returning (again) to the familiar setting of Teluk Kemang for a 3-day event. Get the deets here and see you (and your family, perhaps?) this Dec 9-11!
Deja-vu is Good
We used to pick a new Retreat location each year. Since 2010.
Then last year, we broke this pattern by returning to a past Retreat venue (Klana). This year we are reinforcing it by repeating our Retreat at this location for an unprecedented 3rd time!
Allow me to explain. We’d very good experience with this location – flexible use of the game hall, proximity to Teluk Kemang, good food be it from the hotel’s inhouse F&B place or nearby eateries – and when we repeat our Retreat there last year, our overall experience did not diminish. The only disappointment for last year being their Observatory Tower was not yet ready after being closed for some maintenance works.
TLDR: We didn’t have time to recce a couple of interesting venues in Hulu Langat that we’d marked down. LOL.
Topic Quick Jumps
- About the Retreat
- What’s New
- When & Where
- Who is this for
- How Much – BGC Retreat
- Event Programme
- After-8 Gaming
- Recap Video
- Sign-up!
- FAQs
Here are the group pics for our last two Retreats (2019, 2022) hosted at Klana Beach Resort . We miss you all!
WHAT
Event Mode:
– Boardgamecafe (BGC) Retreat Semi-Competitive – Sat/Sun (for gamers)
– BoardgameKids (BGK) Relaxed Mode – Sat/Sun (for young children 6-12 yo and their parents)
– Quasi (free-n-easy) – Mon (for everyone)
Event Days:
– Main Programme (Sat/Sun)
– Optional Day (Mon)
Our Retreat is an offsite event over one weekend devoted primarily for like-minded boardgamers like yourself to gather and enjoy each other’s company over two days of (semi) intense boardgaming! Last year’s experiment with adding an optional 3rd day was very well received. Therefore we will continue to offer the optional 3rd Day for those who can’t get enough of boardgaming over one weekend.
We’d booked a spacious hall that’ll be available to us from 9am on Sat till 5pm Mon. We would have the keys to the Hall till late into Sat night, possibly all-night-long if you got da staying power. 🙂
To keep hungry gamers from chewing on the cardboards, we’ll provide coffee/tea breaks along with lunches. Breakfast is served on Sun (and Mon) morning. That’s a total 7 meals for the two-day event, and 10 meals if you opt for the three-days experience). Dinners are at your own expense, though. We typically self organize into a few groups for dinner.
TLDR: Meals for each day includes breakfast, two coffee/tea breaks and one lunch, while dinner is at your own expenses.
Non-stop Sessions
Here we would like to emphasize one key point. The gaming sessions in our Retreat are unlike going to a typical Game Convention or Meetup where you can moderate the intensity and duration in which you play, rest or just chill out. In our Retreat, you’ll get to savor the unique experience of learning, playing, cramming and competing over 6-8 sessions of mid-heavy Euros (interspersed with some light Euros) back-to-back over two intense days.
You do not rest nor stop. There is no break in the gaming sessions; you simply move from one session to the next. You just game, game and game even more. Leave the resting / chilling till you get home. 🙂
For those who find a non-stop 9-6 gaming too intense, we’ve the much anticipated After-8 session at the end of Day One for you to decompress. Do a few sessions of Throw Throw Burito!
What’s New?
Last year, we introduced the concept of adding an optional 3rd day. This year, we would like to experiment with the idea of having 2-3 pre-Retreat meetups. At these meetups, registered participants can drop by to play some of the latest Essen Spiel arrivals or recent Big Box Kickstarters **BEFORE** the Retreat officially begins.
These closed-door meetups will be held at BGC Space and are free for this year’s Retreat participants. We understand that not all Retreat participants will be able to join these meetups, but the idea is to provide an opportunity for those who can attend to experience these new games ahead of the Retreat, thereby allowing the others to explore these games during the Retreat itself.
WHEN
Our Retreat is usually scheduled 4-6 weeks after Essen Spiel so that our latest Essen games can be shipped back on-time for the event. For this year, the BGC Retreat shall be held on the weekend of 9th & 10th of December (Sat/Sun), with the option to extend another day on 11th of December (Mon). Do note that 11th of Dec is a replacement public holiday for Selangor (Sultan Selangor’s birthday).
Note: For those not working in Selangor, signing up for the Optional Extension Day will require you to take a day off from your work.
WHERE
The Retreat has always been hosted at some place close by – or at least no longer than 1.5 hrs away by car – to minimize travel time and maximize playing time! Over the years, we’ve done this at Genting (2010), Port Dickson (2011 & 2014), Bukit Tinggi (2013), Kuala Selangor (2015), Broga (2016 & 2017), Sepang (2018) and Teluk Kemang (2019 & 2022). This year’s Retreat will see us returning to Teluk Kemang, a place where we can take you to Space and back.
Teluk Kemang Observatory
One unique feature of this venue is that it’s home to the renowned Teluk Kemang Observatory, widely regarded as one of the best facilities in this region. It houses one of the largest and sophiscated 24-in telescope. For a nominal fee, hotel guests can gaze the star or sun thru this telescope. Or maybe just Mars.
Note: We’ve been informed they are doing some upkeep services on the Observatory. While it was scheduled to finish in 2023, some delays may keep the facility closed for public visit. We hope it’ll be ready for us when we visit in December. #fingerscrossed
WHO
Who is this Retreat suitable for? Our Retreat Persona is someone who has a deep passion for boardgames – not Monopoly or Risks but Euro games like Terra Mystica, Concordia, Brass, Ark Nova among others. You are more than a social or casual gamers i.e. while you may love to play Splendor, it’s games like Terraforming Mars and Great Western Trail that scratch your itch. While you do not necessarily have to love Barrage or Dominant Species, it would be helpful if you do since we expect our Retreat participants to be able to sit thru two days of full 8-hours of almost non-stop gaming day (yes, you still get time to take food & bio breaks) and some of the game sessions may last up to 2+ hrs per game.
If you feel our Retreat Persona matches you (and have not made you click the Back button yet) and you are excited about trying out the latest Essen Spiel and Kickstarter games with a bunch of friendly, occasionally semi-competitive but always fun gamers, then don’t wait – register yourself now!
p/s Those who feel the above sessions might be too intense/heavy, our BGC Quasi-Retreat would be a great fit for you. Do check back on us next year when (and if) we flop back to the Quasi-Retreat format.
HOW MUCH?
MAIN PROGRAMME (2-day weekend). Regular fee per person is RM450 which covers all meals (except dinners), twin-sharing accommodation, our exclusive BGC Retreat t-shirt, and a special commemorative finisher “token” direct from Essen Spiel! Getting yourself to/from the venue would be at your own cost and we recommend car-pool if possible.
OPTIONAL DAY (Mon). We are also offering a special package for those who are signing up for all 3 days for just RM650 (usual RM730).
What about the Kids (and Spouse)?
Oh yes, I almost forgot the Kids and Spouse!
Beside the 3rd Day Extension, we are also pivoting to welcome kids – and spouse who may not be avid board gamers – to our Retreat. Our daughter, Rachel, is now 8.5 yo and is all excited to host/play in a Retreat of her own (after joining us for the past Retreats since 2015).
- For up to 2 children aged 6 to 12 and max one accompanying adult such as the spouse of a Retreat participant.
- Each child must be accompanied by at least one adult (parent/guardian) who is not taking part in the BGC Retreat.
- The package covers all meals (as per participant’s package), access to the event hall, and use of the Family Games section.
- The board games available in the Family Games section are provided as-is and regrettably, we would not be able to provide rule-teach as our facilitators will be busy with the Main Participating tables.
- We encourage the accompanying adult to join the children in board game sessions, as we believe parents playing with the kids enriches the experience for everyone!
- However, the schedule is free-n-easy, and the accompanying adult is free to engage other activities with the children aside from board gaming such as swimming, beach walk, etc
- A maximum of 2 adults – one participating and one non-participating – can be accommodated in a room, with up to 2 non-participating children.
Find out why we believe in the value of play, and how children can pick up skills in an engaging and effective way through playing board games. #playlearngrow
WHAT: BGC Boardgame Retreat 2023 (FB Event Page)
WHERE: Klana Beach Resort, Port Dickson (website)
WHEN: Dec 9 (Sat) 9:00 am – Dec 11 (Mon) 5:00 pm
- Main Programme (2D): Dec 9 (Sat) 9:00am to Dec 10 (Sun) 6:00 pm
- Optional Day (1D): Dec 10 (Sun) 8:00 pm to Dec 11 (Mon) 5:00 pm
FEES:
- BGC Retreat – from RM450 per pax (Sat/Sun) or RM650 (Sat-Mon) *offer*
- Non-participant (Adult) – from RM300 per pax (Sat/Sun) or RM500 (Sat-Mon), max 1 adult
- Non-participant (Child) – from RM180 per pax (Sat/Sun) or RM270 (Sat-Mon), max 2 children
AGENDA (all timings are tentative and will be finalized closer to event day)
Day 1 (Sat)
8:45 am – Arrival of gamers (pls be punctual)
9:00 am – Retreat Briefing
9:15 am – Game Zero starts
9:30 am – Retreat Day One starts
10:30 am – Coffee/tea is served
12:30 pm – LUNCH BREAK (1 hr)
3:30 pm – Coffee/tea is served
6:00 pm – Retreat Day One ends
7:00 pm – DINNER BREAK (not included in Retreat package)
8:00 pm – After-8 Gaming (till late) or Free-n-Easy
10:30 pm – Night Sky Observatory (optional and subject to availability)
Day 2 (Sun)
8:00 am – Breakfast
9:00 am – Retreat Day Two starts
12:30 pm – LUNCH BREAK (1 hr)
3:30 pm – Coffee/tea is served
5:30 pm – Retreat Day Two ends
5:45 pm – Closing & Prize giving
6:00 pm – Retreat ends (for those on 2D package)
The agenda below is for those who have signed up for the All-Day package.
Day 2 (Sun)
6:00 pm – DINNER BREAK (not included in Retreat package)
8:00 pm – After-8 Gaming (till late)
Day 3 (Mon)
8:00 am – Breakfast
9:00 am – Event Hall is open
12:30 pm – LUNCH BREAK (1 hr)
3:30 pm – Coffee/tea is served
5:00 pm – Retreat Day Three ends!
5:30 pm – SAYONARA!!
What do you get?
- 2.0 (or 3.0) days of board gaming (Sat: 9am-6pm, Sun: 9am-5pm + Sun 6pm – Mon 5pm)
- Accommodation on twin-sharing basis (option to upgrade to Single-Room)
- Full meals including 4-6 coffee/tea breaks, 2-3 lunches, and 1-2 breakfast (dinners excluded)
- One exclusive BGC Retreat 2023 t-shirt
- One special commemorative finisher token (direct from Essen Spiel 2023)
- Opportunity to play the latest Essen Spiel & Kickstarter games, some older titles, and even OOP games
- Access the extensive BGC Game Library (over 3,000 games) for After-8 sessions
- Learn lots of new (and old) games – rule-teach is included during Retreat Main Sessions, while After-8 are self-teach or you can join tables hosted by our regulars
- Forge friendships, trade woods, or joust with new and friendly gamers!
- Opportunity to win prizes in our LUCKY DRAW!
- Finally, earn the bragging rights as the BGC Retreat Champion! (for one year la)
What’s not included in the package?
- Your travel to / from the location. If you need help with transport, pls check our car-pooling options
- Fine Dining (tsk tsk). Dinner is not included (any of the days) so you are free to take a break and go out for a nice dinner before resuming the evening gaming (or sleep). Or do some stargazing.
- Mosquito repellant (yes pls bring your own unless you are not a mosquito magnet)
BONUS – Generous Discount on Game Purchase (for BGC Retreat participant only)
Finally, to thank you for your support, all paying BGC Retreat participants would get to purchase a game from our BGC webstore at a 30% discount off the webstore price! Click here to check the list of games we currently have in stock. T&C apply.
Note: This discount is valid for 3 months following the event. Some games from our webstore such as Essen Spiel titles, Kickstarters, NoDiscount, Preorders, Backorders items are excluded from this promo. To qualify for this discount, you need to be a paying participant for this event, and completed the event in full from Sat-Sun. No deserters!! 😛
AFTER-8 GAMING
Our BGC Retreats are famous for its After-8 Gaming sessions, which is known to be the “real deal” after a full day of gaming! After-8 Gaming is a closed-door gaming session held after dinner, where participants can bring to the table games that are of longer duration (epic games), out-of-print games and/or those with higher level of complexity. Or just some crazee, fun, party games!
After-8 gaming is self-organized and we leave it to the participants to decide among themselves what are going to hit the tables (and who’s going to read the rules). It’s also an optional event as some participants may prefer to have an early night or spend the time on their own.
RECAP VIDEO
Take a look at this video recap from last year’s Retreat, created by one of the participants. It offers a great preview of the fantabulous experience awaiting you when you decide to join one of these events.
p/s Props to Cindy Lim for such a wonderful video!
WHERE DO I SIGN-UP?
To sign-up for this Retreat, please proceed by selecting this item in our webstore. Seats will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis upon the receipt of your full payment to our CIMB acct (details provided in the order notification email from webstore). We’ll close the registration once we hit our target 24 participants.
GOT QUESTIONS?
If this is your first participation to our Retreat, do check out the Frequently Asked Questions for our BGC/BGK Retreat events.
BGC RETREATS IN THE PAST
 BGC Quasi-Retreat 2017 @ Broga Hill |
 BGC Retreat 2015 @ The Kabin |
 BGC Retreat 2014 @ Port Dickson |
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Categories: BGC Retreat, Events
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